This is a picture guided tutorial - I have scaled the images down for each step.

Firstly, here are the list of the programs you will need:SimPENVIDIA DDSAn art program that you are comfortable with.
[Though it should be something higher than MSPaint - Photoshop and Paintshop Pro etc. . Pixia is a good choice as well, and it is a wonderful, free program that allows you to work with layers etc., just like the high end art programs! You can download it here - http://park18.wakwak.com/~pixia/download.htm ]

Here are the codes you will need:Goofy Coat for Cats: ZZZ11ZZQHQ11Z91ZB1A or EEGJ2YRQZQ1IZ9QHA64Neon Green Coat for Cats: ZZZ11ZZZHQA1Q91ZB1A or EEGJ2YRZZQAIQ9QHA64Goofy Coat for Dogs: ZZZ11ZZZHZAAQ91ZB1A or EEGJ2YRZZZARQ9QHA64Neon Green Coat for Dogs: ZZZ11ZZZ9QA1Q91ZB1A or EEGJ2YRZQQAIQ9QHA64

YOUR CUSTOM TEXTURES, UPON IMPORTATION VIA THE STEPS ON THIS TUTORIAL, WILL OVERRIDE EITHER THE GOOFY OR NEON GREEN CAT/DOG FUR, IN THE CONSISTANCY YOU CHOOSE FOR IT TO DO SO! IT WILL BE TELLING THE GAME TO SET IT AS A DEFAULT REPLACEMENT FOR THESE COLORS

Now, onto the tutorial.

First, design a petcoat to fit your needs. This will, of course, vary with everyone, and you can doodle and change whatever you want during this step, by no means will it make it any easier or harder if you follow my design. I will be extremely vague on the actual recoloring/drawing, as everyone is likely using different programs etc.

Don't bother trying to decypher all the little abbreviations etc. within the filenames right now - At the moment, it isn't important. Infact, the title of the .png you are customizing does not matter in the slightest . The -.png- of the texture doesn't do any harm, only the actual cat/dog texture [and the corresponding fur color and consistancy] you choose to override it with does!

* - these are "tailbrush" files, and aren't entirely neccesary - you'll only need to edit them if you want your cat/dog to have a "bushy" tail. [Also, keep in mind that the "tailbrush" texture only applies to the fur color , it doesn't narrow it down to consistancy..[in other words, if you want to have a magenta dog with a rainbow-striped, bushy tail..and another with hearts on the fur instead, you'll have to use these in seperate color overrides; you'd have to set one under "goofy" and the other under "neon green", and never give any other custom coats the luxury of a "furry" tail (With the colors I've provided you within this download. In other words, two colors to override = two possible different tail fur customizations, and no more).]

** - I appologize, but I haven't personally experimented with the poodle fur. [And this is nothing against Poodles at all! They are adorable, we have a miniature poodle in our household, infact! I just never came across the occurance where I felt the need to customize a poodle c c']. However, it's clear to me that this was the correct texture, so I've included it in the .package; you will be on own in editting, unfortunately : <

Here are a series of diagrams to explain what is what on the textures.

[Though this is actually the cat body texture, both pet species have the same design in this piece, thus only one illustration is neccessary.]

Now, go ahead and start designing.

A quick tip - If you want the to change the fur color to anything that exists within the spectrum, I'd suggesting using [understandably] the Color or Hue Layer types.A Hybrid or Multiply layer should be fine as well.
[Why not simply a normal layer, you ask? Well, even on a low opacity, it will color over the fur pattern [literally, the strands of fur on the textures].]

Also, if you are looking to customize the pet's eye, simply make it greyscale on the texture, and customize from there.[the same general layer types should apply - stay away from normal layers on this, with the exception of, say, stark highlights.] You would be overriding these eye colors, according to species, reguardless of the coat color you choose to override:Cats: Light BlueDogs: Light GreenYou will only be able to create one custom pet eye per species with this .package. The full version gives you more "room" in this department, but I caution you still - don't download it until you fully grasp the steps in the overriding process!

When you are done customizing each texture, it'll probably be a good idea to hit Save As... rather than simply "Save", just incase you'll ever want to use the blank template again. Let me emphasize once more: The name of the .png you are working on at the moment is completely unimportant. It will be used to build the .DXT in SimPE, and the original texture [that you will be overriding]'s filename will still be preserved during that process.

I think we are done customizing now, yes?

For the sake of the tutorial, I've drawn up a little seasonal Holly texture for both dog and cat. [They aren't anything fantastic, but will do for mere example]

It's time to set the textures you've customized as overrides. I'll explain a bit of the technical stuff before I tell you the exact proccess.

Where it indicates the NVIDIA File Path, find the corresponding path on -your- PC. It will usually be located somewhere in Program Files [My Computer >> Local Disk C: >> Program Files >> (The NVIDIA Progam's folder) ].Note that this is a NECCESSARY STEP - otherwise, the "Build DXT" option won't be available.Click OK, bringing you back to the original screen.

5. Open up the .package included in the Do-It-Yourself folder: Dog >> DogTexts.package, for dogs; Cat >> CatTexts.package, for cats.

Now is the time to learn what each random letter within the texture names means:
For the initial example, I'll just use the first one in the list, for the "DogTexts.package". It happens to be ' dubodycr-cgoofy_txtr '.
Let's decypher:du - means that it's a texture that applies to dogs only.body - means that it's the texture for the body of the dog.cr - means that the fur constancy, in the texture, is curly.c - simply means "coat", or something of the like.goofy - means that the coat color is goofy._txtr - this just tells you that it's a texture file!

That filename doesn't seem so much like gibberish anymore now, does it? ^ ^ Let me go over all of the terms, however, just so you know what each means:Dogdu - dog-applying texturebody - texture for the bodyearf - face texture for floppy-eared dogsface - face texture for pointed-ear dogscr - texture has curly-furred consistancyfl - texture has flowing-furred consistancyfr - texture has furry-furred consistancysh - texture has shag-furred consistancysm - texture has smooth-furred consistancytailbrush - texture of the fur for 'bushy' tailed dogs.acc - is an "accent" texture [ie, facial fur, poodle fur trim]poodle - the "accent" type is the poodle fur trim, respectively.c - I'm not sure what this stands for, but it doesn't make a difference..if it has a random 'c' stuck into the texture name, ignore it. I'm assuming it simply means "coat", or something of the like.greenneon - texture is set with the neon green colorgoofy - texture is set with the goofy color_txtr - this just tells you that it's a texture file!

Catfu - cat-applying texturebody - texture for the bodyface - face texturefl - texture has flowing-furred consistancyfr - texture has furry-furred consistancysm - texture has smooth-furred consistancytailbrush - texture of the fur for 'bushy' tailed cats.c - I'm not sure what this stands for, but it doesn't make a difference..if it has a random 'c' stuck into the texture name, ignore it. I'm assuming it simply means "coat", or something of the like.greenneon - texture is set with the neon green colorgoofy - texture is set with the goofy color_txtr - this just tells you that it's a texture file!

In the .package for both, I have only included the textures for Goofy and Neon Green coat colors, for the sake of simplicity. You will have to choose between the following:

As you may have noticed, I have listed primarily by, not color, but constancy! The fur conststancy is very important - otherwise, you will run into this problem:

( Uh-oh - I thought I did everything right, but only the face is showing up! )In reality, the body -is- showing up, just under a different fur consistancy:

As you can imagine, this could confuse and frustrate someone very much, so be careful when dealing with the textures - though "flowing" and "furry" cat coats look similair [and have very similair file names at that], they are completely different texture sets! However, as long as you stick to the list I made above [and keep in mind the meaning of the shorthand within the filename], you shouldn't have much problem in selecting the correct files to override. ^ ^

Now that I've explained all of the technicalities, let's get to the actual overriding:

AGAIN, PLEASE NOTE : YOUR CUSTOM PET COAT WILL OVERRIDE , OR SHOW UP IN REPLACE OF, EITHER THE GOOFY OR NEON GREEN FUR IN THE CONSTISTANCY YOU MARK IT TO DO SO. IF YOU HAVE ANY DOGS OR CATS IN THESE COLORS, TAKE CAUTION TO ENSURE THEY AREN'T AFFECTED BY YOUR CUSTOM TEXTURE(S)

6. On the left-hand side of the SimPE .package bin, you will notice a small list of contents: AllRes, Directory of Compressed Files (CLST), Name Map (NMAP), Texture Image (TXTR). ; Click "Texture Image (TXTR)".[this make it so only the .txtr's within the package will show up in the main list to the right of the "contents" list.

7.After choosing the fur color AND corresponding consistancy you'd like your custom coat to override, find those files within the .package, make a mental note of where they are within the list, HIGHLIGHT AND DELETE ALL OTHER .TXTR FILES. These will only create room for error. In my example, I am seeking the "Neon Green, Smooth" coat for both the dog and cat Holly coat.[Note: This will be a lot easier on your part if you click the "Name" overhead tab in the Main List , which will sort the .txtr's into alphabetical order]

8. Scroll to the Toolbar, and click the following: File >> Save As... . Save the .package as whatever you want - If you've made, say, a Winter schemed custom cat coat, you might call it "WinterPaws.package". Now, you have your custom coat in a nice neat little .package. This will even make it practical to upload and share with the world, if you like ^ ^ And it's leaving the original DogTexts/CatTexts.package untouched and available for later use, as well.
[Ah. That's much better, isn't it?]

9. Click on the first .txtr within the list. For me, as the overrides I have choosen were Neon Green, Smooth fur for Dogs , it happens to be "dubodysm_cgreenneon_txtr".

10.Right-Click ON the actual texture image , and you will see the following command list pop up. Click the "Build DXT..." option.

11.Click the "open" in " open Image..."

12. Find the corresponding image and click "Open". Remember to use the list I gave earlier to decypher the filename of the texture so you know exactly what it's asking for, if the texture's image isn't enough for you to decide from. In my case, as I mentioned, the file I am concentrating on is "dubodysm_cgreenneon_txtr". From reading the shorthand, as well as looking at the texture image itself, I know that I will be using my previously created custom Holly coat's body to override this texture.

13. Now, simply click the "Build" button. [I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what all the extra comboboxes and textfields decide/change in this window..No change is required to these fields when dealing with pet coats, fortunately, so I just ignore them.]

14.Select the "Commit" button once SimPE returns to it's regular screen. [Commit basically means "Save". You are telling SimPE to save the 'changes' you've made to the texture.]

15. Do the same for ALL of the textures within the .package. Once you are finished, remember to Save it again.

Now I am going to do the same for the Holly Cat Coat. Let's see if you can keep up without help this time!------------------------------------------Did you understand every step alright this time? If so, you won't need to use this tutorial next time you want to customize!

16.Can you believe it? You're actually done! All you need to do now is send your .package file into your Downloads folder!

Now let's see how your creation is working! Open up your game of "The Sims 2: Pets", and "Create A New Family". [The Families button, then the button with a "+" Mark on it]

And here are my final results! Your fruits of labor should now be showing up as well!

Some Final Q&A:

Q: Help! I'm lost!
A: If you find yourself stuck somewhere, please tell me the problem - Though I am by no means an expert at moding etc., I will do my best to help you. If you didn't find this tutorial from MTS2, I'll tell you now that it is the only sims-related website I am ever even remotely "active" on. As mentioned at the top of this page, my username there is "Ticks-Tocks". Feel free to PM be with your issue.

Q: I've customized all the colors and corresponding consistancies that were available to me in the .package, but I still need to make more! What do I do?
A: You should look into the Full Version of this .package. It includes far more coat options to choose from - but be cautioned; this allows more room for error, and I don't include detailed steps like I do for the regular version - while the process is identical, your understanding of the files names etc. is crutial!

Q: I'm sure that I've done everything correct, but my custom coat refuses to show up! What on earth could I be doing wrong?!
A: You might not be doing anything wrong at all! Check that all markings attached to the default breed you've choosen are removed. It might really be there, just hidden underneath all those spots and patches!

Q: What textures am I supposed to override if I want my coat to show on a small dog?
A: Actually, by creating one custom coat, you have set this color as a default override for dogs both large and small. Observe:

Q: This tutorial, and the .package to go with it, was really helpful! Do you mind if I upload the blank template .package files to another site?
A: While I don't exactly mind, please follow these guidelines:1. Give me full, noticable credit, please.[It took my nights of work, not only to figure these things myself, but to write [code, and screencap the steps of,] this tutorial,as well. I think it's a given, but please, under no circumstances, claim it as your own.]
and2. Absolutely no pay sites!

Q: Am I allowed to upload the custom pet coats that I have created via your tutorial and templates?
A: Of course! Despite this fact, they are your very own creations - all I did was help you get it working! Don't hesitate to do so! ^ ^ The custom coats you create with this tutorial and .package are yours to use and post you wish, just not the .package itself.

Q: What if I loose the URL to this page?
A: Don't worry, I've included a .rtf file in the "Do-It-Yourself.zip" that specifies it, just incase that ever happens. As long as you have that file, you will always be able to find your way back to this page.